Anyone who’s been dumped by a boyfriend or girlfriend questions themselves later if they read too much into the relationship…I guess he wasn’t that into me after all…

Can we read too much into our relationships with our horses?

Earlier this year in Horse and Rider magazine, readers shared how they would describe their…

I just got to ride once this week, this morning.  I missed some glorious low humidity and cooler riding weather this week because Debbie had her camp.  Now the heat and humidity are back.  At least my ice vest helps. 

As usual when I cannot ride I drowned my sorrows by reading a horse book.  This time it was "Equitation Science" by Greely & McLean, a book about the…

Namaste is a Sanskrit word -which means it’s very old.  Most translate it to some version of “The spirit in me…

US Rider is a company that offers  road-side assistance programs for Members hauling horses.  They have released these tips for hauling safely in bad weather:

LEXINGTON, KY (June 15, 2011) – The severe weather season is upon us, and when things get rough, we’re reminded to DUCK:

• D – Go DOWN to the lowest level.
• U – Get UNDER something.
• C – COVER your head.
• K – KEEP in shelter until the storm has…

Are You Tired of Being Tired?

I’m not the type of person who aims to inspire people to think they have a certain disease or disorder. However, there are some “conditions” that are rampant in our society due to the lifestyle we tend to lead. Vitamin D…

As I rode by the mirror this week, I checked to see the outline of the horse I was training - had he hidden behind the vertical or did his frame match the one I had in my head? Although he felt soft in my hands and forward in his trot, I’ve come to realize that what I feel doesn’t always match what is.



In life, horses, people and circumstances can act as…

I have a client who is having problems that some of you also may have experienced. She has a horse with an old injury at the withers which, with pressure from any saddle over time with repeated contact created immense pain for him, which eventually resulted in him bucking off the rider. He is now pain free, has had Mesotherapy, and has shown that he (at this moment) is not in pain but has now a learned behavior to not tolerate anything on his back, any saddle etc. He is still bucking and…

This week it has been HOT and muggy down here in N.C..  My body is having some trouble adjusting to the heat this year, nothing major, but the heat came on so quickly!  I have really needed my canes to walk this week.  At least I can still ride at a walk! 

This all worked out good with Mia.  When I got to the stable Debbie's husband brought Mia up like he usually does,…

The foundation of Dressage for the rider/horse is rhythm. I define that as a balanced combination of relaxation and forward. It sounds deceptively simple.

A rider/horse can not sacrifice forward for relaxation, or relaxation for forward. The art of riding is in negotiating the balance of the two in both the rider and the horse. Forward must be consistent; sometimes the rider relaxes…

http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/2011/06/07/fn-training-seminar-hess-and-graf-quality-equitation-leads-success

Ok.  Here it is!.   Read the whole article and you will find that it was demonstrated ALL of the GP dressage movements in a bitless bridle.   The image shown clearly demonstrates the…

We first met Joy last December after she was taken in by the incredible people at Quest Equine Welfare in Australia.

Joy had been found at one day old, lying in…

Yet another poetic rambling courtesy of my alter ego "Shakespeare 'The Equine.'"

Enjoy!

 …

This opinion does not apply to alot of great horse people out there, rather it is aimed at the competitive aspect of the horse world.

Wow,

seems so many horse people are offended by my position that no matter the competitive venue you ride, the rider should be meeting the requirements set forth in the rules.  On another forum a poster asked the difference between modern and classical dressage.  I posted my opinions and was visiously attacked by those who choose to not conform…

“Headset” is a bad word in my vocabulary. 

Thankfully, most judges these days aren’t fooled by that horse with his nose tucked in, looking past the head to analyze the balance, rhythm and relaxation of the whole picture.

I often describe the horse as…

Ammonia emissions are a common by-product of animal waste. These emissions can negatively impact your animal’s health and production. As well, you yourself can be harmed by high levels of ammonia and even low levels can irritate the eyes and lungs. The environment is another concern, as ammonia emissions affect air quality.



Ammonia is one of the most dangerous gases that is present in the air in barns and stables. It is produced from the decomposition of manure. The protein in an…

Wednesday I saw a tornado.  Up close, while trapped in my car on an elevated stretch of highway in Springfield, Mass. Scary!  Funny what a random lethal event does to your head.  It’s clarifying. 

My sister, a fellow agnostic, asked me if I prayed.  The question took me off guard, and its answer surprised me a bit: I didn’t.  I’d wondered if this was “it”, and then thought, why not?  I don’t live in the area, just happened to be there at that moment as I traveled to Vermont for…